Cleaning Cloth

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a cleaning cloth ( 1 ) that is made of a planar textile structure ( 2 ) and is provided with at least one cleaning surface ( 3 ), on at least some parts of which a surface coating (5) is disposed. Said surface coating ( 5 ) is embodied as a printed pattern ( 4 ) and contains abrasive agents ( 6 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter of the invention relates to a cleaning cloth made ofa textile fabric having at least one cleaning surface, on at least partof which a surface coating in the form of a printed pattern is disposed.

PRIOR ART

Cleaning cloths of this type are known from DE 25 36 440. The prior artcleaning cloth is made of a textile fabric, for example, a nonwovenmaterial. To improve the abrasion resistance, the cleaning cloth has asurface coating that is disposed on the surface of the nonwoven materialin the form of a raised printed pattern. The printed pattern makes itpossible for liquids to be wiped off a surface and to be absorbed by theabsorbent nonwoven material. The removal of stubborn soil, however, ismade difficult because of the smooth surface of the printed pattern andthe nonwoven material of the cleaning cloth.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to further developthe cleaning cloth known from the prior art in a manner to ensure thatthe removal of stubborn soil is improved.

This problem is solved by the characteristics of Claim 1. Advantageous

To solve the problem, the surface coating comprises abrasive substances.The abrasive substances are intimately bound to the surface coating and,because of their scouring action, improve the cleaning action of thecleaning cloth. In particular, the cleaning action on soil stubbornlyclinging to the surface to be cleaned is improved. The abrasivesubstances can be formed by particles with an abrasive action.Abrasiveness can also be implemented, for example, by means of surfaceprofiles or by means of stiff fibers.

The textile fabric can be made of a nonwoven material. Nonwovenmaterials can be produced easily and inexpensively. Nonwoven materialshave a low mass per unit area and can be designed so as to be absorbent.

The nonwoven material can be made of a fiber material that is heldtogether by means of a binding agent. Binding agents to be used include,for example, latex, acrylate, phenol resin, melamine resin or nitrilerubber. According to another embodiment, the fiber material can be setby means of thermal fusion. The binder or the thermal fusion stabilizesthe fabric and the fibers are bound in the fabric.

The abrasive substances can be mineral and/or organic additives. Mineralabrasives to be used include, for example, quartz, aluminum oxide,silicon carbide, chalk or glass granules. Mineral abrasives are markedby a high hardness and therefore have an abrasive scouring action.Mineral abrasives are therefore especially suitable for removingextremely stubborn soil.

Non-mineral or organic abrasives include, for example, polyurethane,PMMA or nutshells. Non-mineral or organic abrasives can be easilyprocessed and are inexpensive as well. The non-mineral or organicabrasives are not as hard as mineral abrasives. These abrasivestherefore do not have an abrasive scouring action and are especiallysuitable for cleaning sensitive surfaces.

The surface coating may comprise polishing particles. The polishingparticles may be formed, for example, by silica. With the polishingparticles, the cleaning cloth produced has an only mildly abrasiveaction. Such a cleaning cloth is especially suitable for cleaning andpolishing sensitive objects, for example, cutlery.

The ratio between the thickness of the textile fabric and the thicknessof the surface coating can be in a range from 40:1 to 3:1. At theseratios, it is possible to produce a cleaning cloth that can be producedinexpensively and that does not take up much space.

In one embodiment, the ratio can be a maximum of 10:1. Cleaning clothsproduced in this ratio range are especially suitable for cleaning clothsthat have an abrasive action.

In another embodiment, the ratio can be a minimum of 20:1. Cleaningcloths produced in this ratio range are especially suitable for cleaningcloths that have a polishing action.

In addition, the problem is also solved by a method for the productionof a cleaning cloth, comprising the following steps:

-   -   production of a textile fabric from a fiber material;    -   fixing the textile fabric by applying a binding agent;    -   printing the printing paste onto the textile fabric and applying        abrasive substances, with the printing paste containing the        abrasive substances being cured to form a surface coating.

The production of the cleaning cloth requires only a few processingsteps and is therefore easy and inexpensive. The printing paste maycomprise a binding agent which may contain latex, acrylate, phenolresin, melamine resin or nitrile rubber.

In one embodiment of the method, the abrasive substances can be mixedwith the printing paste and subsequently, the printing paste that hasbeen mixed with the abrasive substances can be printed onto the textilefabric. In this case, the abrasive substances are uniformly distributedin the printing paste. In another embodiment of the method, the printingpaste can be printed onto the textile fabric, and the abrasivesubstances can be scattered over the still wet printing paste that hasbeen applied to the textile fabric. In this case, the abrasivesubstances are fixed in the surface area in the surface coating.

The use of a disposable cleaning cloth is described in any one of Claims1-6. The cleaning cloth can be produced easily and inexpensively and,because of its low thickness, does not take up much space. It istherefore especially suitable for use as a disposable cleaning cloth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

A few practical examples of the cleaning cloth according to the presentinvention will be explained in greater detail below based on thefigures. As can be seen, the drawings in the form of diagrams include:

FIG. 1 which shows a top view of the cleaning cloth according to thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 which shows a cross section through the cleaning cloth accordingto the present invention.

MEANS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning cloth 1 that is made of a textile fabric 2. Thetextile fabric 2 has a cleaning surface 3 on which a surface coating 5is disposed, which has been applied as a printed pattern 4 to thecleaning surface 3. The printed pattern 4 allows the surface coating 5to be designed in many different ways. Thus, it is possible, forexample, to print a number of geometric shapes, such as rhombi, bars andtriangles, or combinations thereof onto the cleaning surface 3. Thesurface coating 5 comprises abrasive substances 6 which can be formed bymineral and non-mineral additives. In addition, polishing particles canalso be used as abrasive substances 6.

The cleaning cloth 1 can be used as a disposable cloth.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a cleaning cloth as in FIG. 1.Abrasive substances 6, in this case, abrasive particles, are bound inthe surface coating 5. The surface coating 5 covers the cleaning surface3 only partially and is printed in geometric patterns onto the cleaningsurface 3. This leads to an additional improvement of the cleaningaction of the cleaning cloth 1. The textile fabric 2 is made of anonwoven material. The fiber material 8 of the nonwoven material isbound by means of a binding agent 7. The binding agent 7 can be formedfrom latex, acrylate, phenol resin, melamine resin or nitrile rubber.The ratio between the thickness of the textile fabric 2 and thethickness of the surface coating 5 is 10:1. The quantity of abrasiveand/or polishing substances measures between 4 and 20%, relative to theoverall weight of the cleaning cloth 1. The quantity of the printingpaste measures between 10 and 40%. The quantity of coating appliedmeasures between 15 and 100 g/m².

To produce a cleaning cloth 1 according to the present invention, firsta textile fabric 2 is produced from a fiber material that consists ofnatural or synthetic fibers. The textile fabric 2 is fixed by applying abinding agent 7, for example, a latex emulsion, or by means of thermalfusion with thermoplastic fibers. To produce the surface coating 5, aprinting paste is mixed with abrasive particles. This printing paste isprinted in a geometrical pattern onto the textile fabric 2. In a lastprocessing step, the printing paste is cured to form the surface coating5 that is mixed with abrasive substances 6, which curing can also beachieved by means of a heat treatment of the coated cleaning cloth 1.

1. A cleaning cloth comprising a textile fabric which comprises aminimum of one cleaning surface, on at least part of which a surfacecoating produced in the form of a printed pattern is disposed, thesurface coating comprises abrasive substances.
 2. The cleaning cloth asin claim 1, wherein the abrasive substances are particles that have anabrasive action.
 3. The cleaning cloth as in claim 1 wherein, thetextile fabric is made of a nonwoven material.
 4. The cleaning cloth asin claim 3, wherein, the nonwoven material is made of a fiber materialthat is bound by a binding agent.
 5. The cleaning cloth as in claim 1,wherein the abrasive substances are formed by mineral additives.
 6. Thecleaning cloth as in claim 1, wherein the surface coating comprisespolishing particles.
 7. The cleaning cloth as in claim 1, wherein theratio between the thickness of the textile fabric and the thickness ofthe surface coating is in a range from 40:1 to 3:1.
 8. The cleaningcloth as in claim 7, wherein the ratio is a maximum of 10:1.
 9. Thecleaning cloth as in claim 7, wherein the ratio is a minimum of 20:1.10. A method for the production of a cleaning cloth, comprising thefollowing steps: production of a textile fabric from a fiber material;fixing the textile fabric by applying a binding agent; making availablea printing paste; printing the printing paste onto the textile fabricand applying abrasive substances, with the printing paste that comprisesthe abrasive substances being cured to form a surface coating.
 11. Themethod as in claim 10, wherein the printing paste is mixed with abrasivesubstances and the printing paste that is mixed with the abrasivesubstances is printed onto the textile fabric.
 12. The method as inclaim 10, wherein the printing paste is printed onto the textile fabricand the abrasive substances are scattered over the still wet printingpaste that has been applied to the textile fabric.
 13. The use of acleaning cloth as in claim 1 as a disposable cleaning cloth.
 14. Thecleaning cloth as in claim 1, wherein the abrasive substances are formedby organic additives.
 15. The cleaning cloth as in claim 3, wherein thenonwoven material is made of a fiber material that is fixed by thermalfusion.